A Gaelic Christmas
Internationally acclaimed for her lush harmonies and atmospheric arrangements, Mary Mc Laughlin introduces her latest album. A Gaelic Christmas is a collection of Christmas carols and hymns all sung in the Irish Gaelic language. The material spans several centuries and includes ancient traditional Irish carols such as "The Wexford Carol" as well as Gaelic versions of beloved Victorian carols including "Holy Night," "I Saw Three Ships," and "Silent Night". Guest musicians, including many Gourd artists, enhance Mc Laughlin's rich multi-tracked vocals to create a unique and timeless holiday album.
Guest musicians: Steve Coulter (harp), Barry Phillips (cellos), Steafan Hannigan (percussion, uiilleann pipes), Robin Petrie (hammer dulcimer), Danny Carnahan (octave mandolin) and Bill Coulter (guitar).
The thirteen songs, eleven of which are original, view archetypal and mythological themes through a modern lens, as in the title track "Crystal Shoe," "The Weaver," "Sleeping Beauty" and also include mystical songs such as "Song to Bridget," "The Mermaid" (both in Gaelic), "Angels" and "Deep Peace."
Hauntingly beautiful dreamy songscapes, sung in a mix of English and Irish. If you like mega-platinum Enya, you can't miss with this. McLaughlin's voice not only rings true, but side musicians Radim Zenkl and Barry Phillips lend a dense weave to this lush Celtic tapestry.
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The twelve songs are linked by the themes of Ireland, women and the sea and vary in content from the fantastic images of Celtic myths as in "Yundah/Sealwoman" and "Fionnuala’s Song" to the very real emotions of an Irish woman making her way in this modern world as in "Eyes of Africa" and "Trying to Forget."
Download an Mp3 of Cool Waters. 
The Catholic Mass for the dead is called a "Requiem Mass" (Requiem is the Latin word for "Rest") and this collection of songs and tunes from Ireland are songs of sorrow and hope for loved ones who have passed on. The album draws on traditional as well as liturgical sources and pays tribute to the three forms of mourning in the Irish culture: "caoineadh" (lament); "marbhra" (elegy) and "cumha" (air without words).
True to the title of this CD, each of the recordings showcases the vocal talents of the four featured women to a full extent. The music is a combination of very traditional songs and more recently written, New-Agey selections.
Tracks include the haunting, pleading "Bring the Peace"; the playful harvest song "In Aimsir Bhaint an Fheir"; the tragic traditional song "Siuil a Ruin"; and the contemplative "Waly Waly," better known as "The Water is Wide"; and the beautiful "She Moved Through the Fair."
At last! A book and CD set that enables the non Gaelic speaker to learn songs which, until now, have been inaccessible without prior knowledge of the Irish language.
On the CD, Mary speaks each phrase slowly, leaving a pause for the student to imitate the pronunciation. Mary then sings each song in a simple, unaccompanied, plain style.
The book has the sheet music, guitar chords, phonetics, Irish lyrics, and a translation and background to each song. There is an introduction which gives information on traditional singing in Irish as well as a guide to the phonetic system used. The songs are graded linguistically and musically so that the student can build up skills as she/he progresses through the book. A must for anyone who has longed to sing in Gaelic but not had the opportunity to learn the Irish language. $17.95
Michael Whalen's soundtrack recording for the PBS presentation Lost Liners, An Age Gone By features Mary singing a composition by Michael Whalen titled "A Flower on the Sea."
Narada World (2000)
Mary performs
“A Woman’s Heart" (written by Eleanor McEvoy)
& Friends. Mary performs a beautiful rendition of "The Flower of Magherally."
Narada Collection Series (1997)
A Columbia House Record Club Sampler. Also featuring Clara Ponty and Mela Tenenbaum.
